A young couple’s hike in a picturesque but desolate area of Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park nearly ended in tragedy when they ran out of water and needed to be rescued.
It happened on June 9 in an area north of the Salton Sea known as Painted Rock, which is located southeast of Coachella Valley.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the boyfriend had cell service and called 911 to say his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak.
A search and rescue helicopter crew was dispatched to the area and found the couple huddled in a dry creek bed.
Video shared by the Sheriff’s Department shows rescuers first hoisting the boyfriend, who was alert and conscious, into the helicopter. His girlfriend, however, appeared to be unconscious when she was hoisted.
Both were airlifted to a nearby road where a medical helicopter transported the woman to a hospital due to her “severe condition,” officials said.
Authorities hope the incident serves as a lesson to other hikers.
“Please remember as the temps increase take more water than you think you will need, have a hiking plan, and tell two people where you are going,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
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